Piece Description

This week on the World Vision Report: An encore of a program previously broadcast in August 2008.

Spend an hour in Mexico without ever leaving home.

From how tourists can visit Mexico in a way that helps its economy…to the obligation of immigrants returning home to help their village…to a plate full of tasty insects…to air-dropping water bottles for dehydrated people crossing the border…to risking life and limb jumping on a train…plus, music from Lila Downs…

It’s Mexico -- the culture, customs, and music of our neighbor to the south.

The Show Rundown:

Central American Migrants  (4:45)

Like the U.S., Mexico also has immigration problems along its border.  In Mexico’s case, it’s Central Americans crossing into southern Mexico and the Mexican government is accused of using brutal tactics to control the flood of humanity.  Conrad Fox spends the night with the Central Americans as they risk their lives on the journey northward.

Vacations with a Conscience (2:36)

Mexico is a major tourist destination for Americans, but all those dollars you spend south of the border may not benefit the local economy.  Host Peggy Wehmeyer talks with Jonathan Tourtellot of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations about how to take a vacation in Mexico that puts your dollars in the pockets of locals and not some conglomerate.

Missing the Train (2:40)

In a sound-rich Reporter’s Notebook, Conrad Fox gives us an up close and personal look at a man and his daughter trying to hop a freight train heading across the Mexican border.  It’s a hair-raising, dangerous method of traveling -- if you can catch the train.

Parachutes for Life  (5:23)

Hundreds of illegal immigrants have died in the deserts of the Southwest after crossing the U.S.-Mexican border in a quest for better paying jobs in America.  Reporter Janet Heimlich travels with an airborne rescue group out of El Paso that spots people crossing the desert and then drops bottles of water to them with tiny parachutes attached.  For some of those risking their lives on the perilous journey, they are truly parachutes of life.

Share Your Soles (4:21)

Got some old shoes lying around the house you want to get rid of?  Mona Purdy of Chicago wants them.  She tells Host Peggy Wehmeyer she started sending shoes to Guatemala several years ago after going on vacation there and realizing some people have never had a pair of shoes their entire life.  She formed a non-profit organization called “Share Your Soles” which now has now volunteers in 30 states shipping gently used shoes to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico, eastern Europe, and Sri Lanka.

It’s a Matter of Honor (5:13)

Thousands of Mexicans come to the U.S. every year looking for work.  That exodus of young people can have a serious economic impact on the impoverished communities they leave behind.  But everyone who leaves the town of El Alberto knows – at some point – they’ll have to come back -- for a year of community service.  It’s a long-standing custom that ensures the economic vitality of the community.  Workers return to the village to fix up the school, pave the streets, and do other community improvement projects.  Some of those who return to El Alberto have no intention of staying there, but they say they had to come back because it’s a matter of honor.  Jordana Gustafson reports.

The Street Kids of Mexico  (2:43)

Kari Constanza offers an Aid Worker’s Diary on an encounter she had with a Mexican teenager who lives on the streets, scraping by with barely enough to live on, but still concerned about others.

Cricket Anyone?  (Not the game)  (4:36)

Instead of diving into that steak dinner or a Cobb salad tonight, why not a big steaming plate full of crickets, grasshoppers with guacamole, ant eggs in a butter sauce, or grub tacos made with a thick, yellowish worm-like larva?  Mmmmm. Mexico has 500 species of edible insects, many of which are served at trendy restaurants.  It may give you the willies, but scientists say edible bugs and insects are a potential source of ending famine in the world.  Reporter Peter Aronson shares a meal your palette will never forget.

Luis’s Story (4:53)

When Luis was 12-years old, he left his home in Mexico and traveled 1,600 miles by himself to be re-united with his father in the U.S.  He graduated from high school in North Carolina and wants to attend college.  But under the law in most states, illegal immigrants who want to attend a state-owned university or college must pay out-of-state tuition even though they may live instate.  It’s a tough financial reach for a teenager who is in this country illegally.  But Luis is determined to make his dream of a college education come true.  His high school soccer coach, Paul Cuadros, has an essay on Luis’ story.

A Musical Bridge (5:09)

Lila Downs was born in Mexico to a Mixteca Indian mother and a Scottish-American father.  Growing up, she spent time in both the U.S. and Mexico and her music reflects those cultural differences.  She spends part of the year in New York City and part in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Her songs are about everything from small town ostracism to making mole sauce.  In her interview with host Peggy Wehmeyer, Downs says her music is all about educating people on sides of the border.

:30 Promo For This Special Program:

You can spend an hour in Mexico this week without ever leaving home.  It’s all on The World Vision Report.

From immigration issues to a plate full of tasty insects and taking a vacation with a conscience -- it’s an entertaining and informative exploration of the culture, customs, and music of our neighbor to the south.

Reports, interviews, and personal essays on the people and culture of Mexico -- all coming up this week on the World Vision Report.